Heating anx  venthiating apparatus



March 15, 1938.

A. B. MODINE Re. 20,669

HEATING AND VENTILATING APPARATUS I.

Original Filed Feb. l '7, 1934 Rea d Mar. 15, 1938 Re. e

PATENT OFFICE HEATING AND VENTILAT'ING APFABATUS I Arthur B. Modine, Racine, Wis., assignor to Modine Manufacturing Company, Racine, ma, a corporation of Wisconsin Original No. 2,045,044, dated June 23, 1936, Serial No. 711,707, February 17, 1934. Application for reissue February 15, 1937, Serial'No. 127.182

8 Claims.

This invention relates to heating and ventilating apparatus and particularly to apparatus adapted for use in heating the interior or motor vehicles by the heat generated in the cooling medium employed for cooling the engine of the vehicle.

One object of the present invention is to produce circulation of heated air in the vehicle body by currents 01' air induced by the movement of the vehicle in its operation. 4

Another object 01' the invention is to provide a construction and arrangement whereby the heated air is circulated within the vehicle body by our"- rents of fresh air introduced. directly from outside the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction and arrangement wherein air heated by the cooling medium employed for coo1- ing the engine of the vehicle is circulated by currents of fresh air from outside the vehicle body and induced by movement of the vehicle in its operation.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a construction and arrangement whereby the induced air currents for circulating the heated air may be conveniently and readily controlled by the operator of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein air currentsrnay be passed through the heat exchange device and into the interior of the vehicle body when the vehicle is not in motion, and wherein a portionof the heated air from the heat exchange device is directed against the inner surface of the windshield of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein a portion of the air currents- A further object of the invention is to provide a heating apparatus for motor vehicles wherein the circulation through the heat exchange device of the cooling medium employed for cooling the readily controlled by (Cl. zap -12.3)

view of a portion of an automobile illustrating the application of my improved heating apparatus thereto;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevational view of a portion of the structure illustrating Fig. 1, and taken substantially as indicated in the line 2-2 thereof; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plane sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line 3-I of Fig.

The portion of the automobile or motor vehicle illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a body portion. indicated by the numeral 5, a hood 0, cowl I positioned between the hood and body, an instrument board ll, dash-board 9, radiator HI forming a part of the cooling system for the automobile; and an engine H, the engine being provided with a suit ably driven pump II for circulating the cooling fluid through the block of the engine and the radiator In in a manner well known in systems of the character described.

The cowl 'I of the illustrative arrangement is provided with a ventilator opening l3, and mounted on a shaft I4 supported in brackets suitably mounted on a wall member I5, is a closure meme ber l6 operatively related to the opening ll in a manner to close the opening or permit the passage of air therethrough as desired.

For heating the interior of the body of the vehicle with heat generated in the cooling medium employed for cooling the engine II, a heat exchange device indicated as a whole by the numeral I1 is positioned between the instrument board 8 and the dash-board l, as shown in Fig. 1, and is operatively related to the cooling system of the engine by .means of pipes i8 and il.

The heat exchange device ll may be of any suitable construction and, for illustrative pur- -poses in the present instance, is shown in Fig. 3

with the fluid chamber oi' the engine. head by means of the pipe II, and the header, 2| to the intake side of the pump I2 by means of a pipe ll for circulating the cooling fluid of the engine through the pipe I8,header 20, flues 22, header 2|, pipe I9, and thence throughthe pump 12 into) the coolingjacket of the engine, the pipe ll being shown, in the present instance, asprovided with 7 a manually operated valve 2! positioned inside reach of the operator for controlling the passage or fluid through the heat exchange device l1.

Mounted adjacent the end portions of the heat exchange device and extending upward therefrom to adjacent the under side of the cowl I, are wall members 25 adapted to cooperate with the wall member l5 and dash-board 9 to provide an air conduit communicating at its upp r end with the ventilator opening I 3, and 'at its lower end with the open portion of the heat exchange device for conducting fresh air from outside the vehicle through the heat exchange device when the closure It is open.

For controlling the position of the closure IS with respect to the ventilator opening I! to vary the quantity of air passing therethrough, the shaft '14 is provided with an arm 26 adapted to engage a. quadrant 21 having a notched or serrated edge and mounted on the wall member l5 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that by such an arrangement, the closure It may be adjusted and maintained in various positions 'of adjustment by positioning the arm 26 in one or another of the notches or serrations formed in the edge of the quadrant 21.

If desired, the cooling system of the automo- V bile may include a thermostatically controlled valve, shown at 29 in Fig. l as built into the engine head and provided for trapping or preventing circulating of the cooling medium of the engine through the radiator III until the temperature of the cooling medium has reached the de-- sired degree, but does not prevent circulation of the cooling medium through the heat exchange device, thereby permitting the temperature of the cooling medium to rise quickly and thus increase the efllciency of the heater.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the instrument panel B is provided adjacent its upper edge portion with an aperture or plurality of apertures as indicated at 30, and positioned between the instrumentpanel I and the wall member IS in spaced relation with respect to the heat exchange device l1 32 of the vehicle body. The channel-shaped de-' fleeting member 3| may include a movable portion 3la hingedly connected at Slb adjacent the lower end of member II and adapted to be secured in-the full-line. position beneath a portion of the heat exchange device I! by any suitable means, as, for example, a spring clip (not shown) and when it is desired to omit the passing of heated air upwardly through the apertures 30 of the instrument panel I, the portion 3 la may be swung downwardly to thedotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

As illustrated also in Fig. 1, the vehicle is provided with an improved type of ventilating window construction as indicated at 33, in which a portion of the window is adapted to be swung outwardly about the vertically aligned pivots indicated at 34 and 35, in a manner to draw air from within the vehicle body outwardly, without admitting a draft of outside air to enter the interior dow. Any equivalent type of window construction may be employed.

It would be observed from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a cacao novel construction and arrangement wherein heat generated in a, cooling medium employed for cooling the engine may be transmitted through the heat exchange device I! and circulated in the interior of the vehicle by currents of fresh air from outside the vehicle, and that by rea-, son of the ventilating window construction just described, it will be apparent that the fresh air entering the ventilator opening I3. is free from engine odors, and that in its passage through the heat exchange device IT, the fresh air. is heated and may be circulated throughout the interior of the vehicle body, and when having become contaminated with foul air from within the body, it may be discharged through the ventilating window 33, thus providing fresh heated air for warming and ventilating the interioriof the vehicle body. f

It will be observed also that by reason of the instrument board constructionabove described,

including the apertures 30 and the arrangement of the channel-shaped deflecting member 3|, provides for directing a portion of the heated air toward and into contact with the innersurface of the wind-shield 32 for warming the windshield and preventing an accumulation of condensate, frost or ice,- either on the inner or the outer surface thereof.

For providing circulation of air through the heat exchange device i1 and the interior 'of the vehicle body when the vehicle is not in motion, the dash-board 9 may be provided, as shown in the present instance, with an inlet port 36 having a pivoted cover 31 associated therewith andadapted to be opened and closed, by means, shown in the present instance, as a rod 38 extending rearwardly through the instrument board 8 and conveniently accessible to the operator of the vehicle for moving the cover 31 to an open or closed position as desired.

It will be observed from such an arrangement that when the vehicle is not in motion, and with the closure i6 either open or closed, the cover 31 may be moved to open position as shown in Fig; ljand a current. of air passed through. the port 38 by the-operation of the fan 39, commonly provided in a motor vehicle construction.

It will be observed from an examination of Figs. 1 and 3, that the forward side of the heat exchange device." is positioned a substantial distance away from the'dash-board 9, thereby providing a passage having a pivoted shutter." associated therewith adapted to be closed as shown in Fig. 1, when it is desired to circulate the air currents through the heat exchange device II, for heating the interior of the vehicle body, and which may be opened by means of a handle II when it is desired to by-pass the currents of air around the heat exchange device II, when it is desired to introduce air from outside the vehicle merely for ventilating purposes as may be desired lnwarm weather, at which time of the body through the open portion of the winthe valve 24 may be actuated to prevent circulation of the cooling medium of the engine through the heating exchange device ll.

Under the conditions just described, it will be obvious that a substantial portion of the incoming air will be circulated through the passage between the heat exchange device I! and the dash-board 9, and although a portion of the air may pass through the heat exchange device l1, practically no heat will be taken up from the device, owing to the closing of the valve 24, thus providing an ample supply of fresh outside air for ventilating purposes. The

25, and the cross sectional area of said chamber is not less than that of the heat exchanger core, and the cubical capacity of the air chamber is of a volume so as not to increase the velocity of the air entering the heat exchanger core to avoid the occurrence of an air blast on persons sitting adjacent the opening from the air chamber to the car interior.

Obviously, the presentinvention isnot limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described, as the same may be variously modified. Moreover, all the features of the invention need not be used conjointly as the same may be used to advantage in variously different combinations and subcombinations.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a heating and ventilating apparatus, th combination with a motor vehicle having an engine, a cooling system therefor employing a cooling fluid, an instrument panel haying apertures formed therein adjacent its upper edge, the body of the vehicle having a ventilator opening formed therein adjacent said instrument board and an adjustable closure for said opening, of an air conduit communicating with said opening and the interior of'the vehicle body for conducting air from said opening to the interior of the I body, a heat exchange device positioned in said conduit and operativelyi related to the cooling system of the engine for passing the coolin fluid thereof through said device, and a deflecting member extending under a portion of said heat exchange device for directing a portion of the air passing therethrough upwardly and through the apertures formed in said instrument board.

2. In a heating and ventilating apparatus, the combination of a motor vehicle body having an engine, a dash board having a port formed therein positioned betweensaid engine and the interior of said body, a cover for said port, a conduit for conducting air from said port to' the interior of the body, an instrument panel having apertures formed therein adjacent its upper portion, and a movable deflecting member operatively related to said conduit for directing a portion of the air passing therethrough toward and through the apertures formed in said panel.

3. In a motor vehicle having a cowl, a dashboard, and an instrument panel; a wall extending downwardly from the cowl between the dashboard and the instrument panel; side walls joined to said wall and extending forwardly to the dashboard to coact with said wall and the dashboard in the formation of an air passageway directly under the cowl with the cowl closing the top wall thereof, the cowl having an opening leading to the passageway for the admission of fresh air to the passageway; a movable closure for the opening; the bottom of the air passageway opening directly to the passenger compartment of the vehiclefanda heat exchanger having a core extending across the passageway substantially from side wall to side wall for modifying the temperature of air passing through the passageway, said core and all parts of the passageway having a cross sectional area atleast as large as that of the cowl opening so that the velocity of the airflow through the passageway and into the passenger compartment is not increased nor its volume appreciably diminished with respect to the velocity and volume of the air entering the cowl opening.

4. In a motor vehicle having a cowl with a windshield extending upwardly from its rear edge, adashboard, and an instrument panel; means forming an air chamber between the dashboard and the instrument panel and directly under the cowl with the cow] forming a top wall therefor; the cow] having an opening leading to the chamber for the admission of fresh air to the chamber; the instrument panel having an opening arranged to discharge air from the chamber onto the inner surface of the windshield; a movable. closure for the cowl open ing adapted to be opened to permit air to enter the cowl opening when the vehicle is moving forwardly, the lower portion of the chamber having an opening directly communicating the cham- ,ber with the passenger compartment of the veboard and the instrument panel and, directly under the cowl with the cowl forming a top wall therefor; the cowl having an opening leading to the chamber for the admission of fresh air to the chamber; the instrument panel having an opening arranged to discharge air upwardly onto the inner surface of the windshield; a movable closure for the cowl opening; the lower portion of the chamber having an opening directly communicating the chamber with the passenger com-' partment of the vehicle; a heat exchanger having a core in the chamber between the cowl opening and the opening in the lower portion of the chamber for modifying the temperature of air passing through the chamber into the passenger compartment, said chamber having a cross sectional area at least as large as that of the cowl opening so that the velocity of the airflow through the chamber is not increased nor its volume appreciably diminished with respect to the velocity and volume of the air entering panel. i

6. In a motor vehicle having a cowl, a dashboard, and an instrument panel; wall means forming an air chamber between the dashboard Y and the instrument panel and under the cowl and extending substantially from the instrument panel to the dashboard; there being an opening communicated with the upper portion of said chamber for supplying fresh air from the outside atmosphere; the lower portion of the chamber having an opening directly communicating the air chamber with the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and a heat exchanger having a core disposed crosswise in the chamber above its opening to the passenger compartment for modifying the temperature of air passing through the chamber into the passenger compartment; the cross-sectional area of the heat exchanger core being substantially that of the opening for supthe cowl opening; and means for directing part of the air issuing from the heat exchanger core upwardly through the opening in'the instrument.

plying fresh air to the chamber and the effec-' provided with a cowl, a dashboard, and an instrument panel; a housing member extending across the space between the dashboard and the instrument panel to provide an air chamber directly under the cowl with the cowl forming a top wall therefor; the cowlhaving an opening leading to the chamber for the admission of fresh air to the chamber; a movable closure for the opening; said housing member having an opening directly communicating the chamber with the passenger compartment of the vehicle; a heat exchanger having a core extending crosswise of the chamber for modifying the temperature of air passing through the chamber into the passenger compartment; said chamber having a cross sectional area at least as large as that of the cowl opening 50 that the velocity of the airflow through the chamber is not increased nor its volume appreciably diminished with respect to the velocity and volume of the air entering the cowl opening, and the vehicle body having an opening adapted to be opened to accelerate the circulation of fresh air through the chamber and the interior of the body.

8. In a motor vehicle having a closed body provided with a dashboard and an instrument panel, a housing member bridging the space be- 

